Altitude Dream Cars

This blog is mainly about exotic cars and subjects about exotic cars, or more specifically, exotic sports cars, that come to mind in my daily life. I’m not going to present any breaking news about the latest Lamborghini or Ferrari to hit the streets, while I’ll probably write about it after I hear, I wont be the first to tell you about that new design. However, I will talk about it and if people find my blog, hopefully they’ll talk about it as well. Why did I start this blog? Basically to give myself an outlet to write about one of my passions, cars and more specifically exotic sports cars.

In the past, I was obsessed with exotic cars and obtaining one or three for myself. Somewhere around 2005, I decided to jump in and start a car business here in the Denver area. Exotic and luxury car rentals to be more specific. I had some contacts, some money and decided to give it a go, economy be hanged. After banging out 80 hour weeks building data centers, solving IT techncial problems for everyone else, I needed a reboot and some fun. So, first, I bought a Lotus Elise, then a CLS 500 and a Porsche Boxster. Yes, not all super exotic, but my funds were limited. These were the humble beginnings of our little rental enterprise and the first year we opened, 2006 we sputtered because I didn’t have everything in place and truth be told, I was playing with the Lotus and having a blast.I made some contacts who owned other cars and we struck a deal where we’d put their car into my fleet and offer it as a rental.

We really ramped up in 2007 and ran the business through mid-2008 and frankly, had a blast. My wife, Jodi, and I got to know a lot of people, had some great stories and helped other people have fun. We helped people rekindle their love for a hot sports car, enjoy that anniversary night out, send them off into their new life at their wedding and gave some birthday boys a major thrill. Yes, we really enjoyed our customers and the stories behind their passion for cars. But, as luck would have it, 2008 wasn’t shaping up to be a good year in any economy and so since we were completely self funded, we decided to discontinue the rental program and focus on other ventures.

However, since then, my passion and love for exotic sports cars is still stronger than ever. So, to keep my thoughts out there, I started this blog using my old company domain. It was free and still reflects a name that says what it is, high altitude dreams. Hey, I live in Colorado and spend a lo of time in the mountains. John Denver said it best, rocky mountain high, gets no better than this.

The other reason I started this blog is because I’ve looked for other interesting blogs related to exotic cars and didn’t see much out there. Most sites dedicated to exotic cars are mostly selling stuff, affiliate web sites strictly trying to make a buck or they’re part of some other car site just trying to report the news. There are a plethora of forums, but those get so chatty and somewhere along the thread some douche gets everyone all rawled up that it looses it’s fun and interest.

I just wanted to read about other guys who may be thinking the same way I am, who are down to earth, appreciate all kinds of cars and situations about cars and love exotic cars.

—– The heart and sole of this site —-

So, here’s the real deal. I’ve had the privelege of driving some awesome cars and meeting lots of people who own a variety of high-end cars and realized something along the way. The majority of exotic car owners are pretty nice people and they aren’t all assholes. There are those that are jerks, but driving the car doesn’t make them a jerk, they just are. If I can write a few things about the people behind the cars and make it real, then my work will be done. I’ve had many people approach me while I’m in a specific car and very cautiously ask me about the car. Then, they’re relieved when I smile back and say, hey, you want to sit in it or hear the engine? They all have reponded, wow, you’re not a jerk or some douche bag driving this thing, you’re a real, every day guy.

That’s me, I am a regular guy who’s had some great opportunities and have enjoyed talking with people about their cars, they’re car experience or the lack there of. While I’ve owned a few nice eye catching cars and have driven some pretty cool cars, I’ve run into people at many different places and I love letting people enjoy the car I was driving.

Therefore, I’m a regular guy who thinks that while most exotic cars are priced into the stratosphere, and they should since they’re built so differently and in most cases, hand-built and/or not built by robots,  built with special materials, special engines, had tons of R&D pumped into them, then they should be priced accordingly. Price isn’t everything and everyone should have the opportunity to see, sit, touch, listen and enjoy these rare breeds in their natural habitat, the open road, the mountains and around town. Making them “normal” is one of the coolest things and having someone who’s a regular guy help with that is my challenge.

Remember, at the end of the day, they’re just cars!

So, what exactly is an Exotic Car? I started to write up my own definition and was doing my research when I stumbled upon this extremely recent article on the Examiner.Com site. The write, Kae Davis did a fantastic job. Here’s an excerpt with a full link at the bottom to her article.

WHAT IS AN EXOTIC CAR — FOR THE PURPOSE OF REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION?

An exotic car, then, for the purpose of special attention and reporter review here at the examiner, is any car that can be traditionally defined in industry standard terms by the following criteria, with the most important elements that must be present to ever classify a car as an exotic CAPITALIZED and bolded:

1. LIMITED PRODUCTION Limited production model designed for ownership by less than 1% of the world auto owners market ; cars that may have originally been built in limited number but have increased in popularity and are now produced for a larger audience may fall under different rubrics for mass produced models; cars may or may not appreciate over time based on factors or care, condition, and mileage; cars may or may not have noted chassis numbers (with notation and and original documentation of all records and service history records always preferred)
2. PERSONALIZATION Hand built or created in an unusual way; story of creation typically includes personal history of individuals or design teams; classic street rods or muscle cars are most often excluded
3. May or may not incorporate new or unusual materials or engine components with unusual design; after market custom work on any mass produced model may create cars that are exotic in appearance but not exotic by definition
4. Not intended to appeal to a general population or large potential buyers market audience except to improve prestige and increase demand by crafting a sensational image using advertising and media marketing services (grass roots marketing campaigns included)
5. May require a specialty automobile dealer to procure or resell unless traded in the private market; if traded by a common automobile dealership, the sales force may have to go to outside sources to provide expert opinion consultations on the correct marketing of the specialty product [such as for setting comparable price value and to learn about performance and handling issues to relay to clients]
6. SCARCITY Any car sold in a boutique automobile sales environment; if less than 8,000 – 10,000 cars per year [of the entire brand all models included] are made, the car may be considered exotic in addition to any other category rubric; however, cars may be judged more or less exotic cased on appearance and notoriety;  NOTE 1: sales of cars to any general public is not required (cars created simply for the sole purpose of bringing a car form idea into existence are eligible); NOTE 2: cars that were once mass produced but now are so rare there are essentially nearing extinction and are in pristine or restoration-worthy condition are frequently traded by exotic car dealers or sold at exotic or classic car auctions as investment grade automobiles — a dealer and insurance appraisal consensus should make the determination of the car’s history to help define it’s academic classification at time of sale
7. Cars that require specialty tools and equipment to repair cars; both car and service equipment can be considered rare and may not be available from common auto industry resources; cars that typically require unique designations or appraisals by insurance companies for the purpose of valuation; master mechanics and technicians who work on these cars are almost as difficult to find as the automobiles (and are equally as valuable)
8. May or may not have competed in a race environment; many exotic car models may be designed for speed and driving pleasure (maneuverability, braking, acceleration) rather than for track environments; carbon fuel based racing engine or high speed performance in personal vehicles may or may not be an element considered for mid to late 21st century models — as global cultures shift transportation priorities
9. Has extensive design elements influenced by predecessor models that are or were considered exotic automobiles; use caution to indicate cars have exotic elements rather than identifying them as exotic cars themselves (as all models must justifiably measure up to other aforementioned criteria)
10. EXOTIC IN CONTEXT Appears strange and unusual in concept or design; may or may not include unusual functions (speed, task or newly defined multipurpose transportation, aesthetic value); cars that are made as concept cars or new methods of transportation that cover ground distance are eligible — with subsequent mass produced copies excluded; cars that are considered exotic looking during one time period or era may not be considered exotic later; cars that are considered exotic in one geographic location may be considered exotic when out of their element; NOTE: be sure to clarify time period, genre, place, et cetera in any discussion to help qualify in what context the car has appeared as unusual, surprising, or distinct

Exotic cars meeting some or all criteria listed are undeniably of interest to any exotic car collector as a vehicle to know or a potential investment piece to own. Much like the antique market prices for any well made, unique, or well preserved rare and hand crafted item tend to increase with story and product knowledge, so too does the prestige and heritage of the manufacturing process of exotic automobiles and any ownership history tend to make exotic car models more interesting to potential and valuable in the eyes of car collectors over time.”

Full article is at the Examiner.Com section where she, Kae Davis writes. Enjoy!